FINN Harps had a funny response to a long-standing if obscure record of theirs almost falling during Chelsea’s drubbing of Noah.

The Premier League giants won 8-0 on the night to maintain top spot in the Europa Conference League where they look a class apart.

They went in at the half-time break leading by six which is significant as it matched Derby County’s record haul from the 1976-77 season…against the Donegal outfit.

Stats firm Opta noted the historical significance, tweeting: “Chelsea’s 6-0 half-time lead over Noah is the biggest by an English side at the break of a major European game since Derby County were winning 9-0 against Finn Harps in the 1976-77 UEFA Cup.”

Harps then poked fun at themselves and their lop-sided loss way back when.

Retweeting Opta’s post, the club added: “A proud moment for the club this evening when the half-time whistle went and our record was safe!”

At the time of writing the tongue-in-cheek reply has garnered over 1600 likes from amused fans.

Two-times Champions League winners Chelsea were six nil up with five different goalscorers as they sunk Armenia’s fourth best team at training ground pace.

What is most surprising is that qualifiers Noah held out for 11 minutes before going behind and even gave Chelsea a couple of scares on the biggest night in their short history.

Neither team belongs in this competition with Chelsea slumming it after a couple of crazy seasons following a takeover in 2022.

Minnows Noah have only been in existence for seven years and had to scrap all the way through three qualifying rounds and a play-off just for the chance to fly 3,000 miles from their hometown to get thrashed under the lights at Stamford Bridge.

Blues squad players Tosin Adarabiyo and Marc Guiu scored their first goals for the club since signing in the summer.

And £42million Portuguese forward Joao Felix helped himself to two goals by the break.

Noah – named after the Biblical boat that finally ran aground on Armenia’s Mount Ararat – were holed below the water line very quickly and never recovered.

Tosin got the rout underway by heading in an Enzo Fernandez corner on 11 minutes.

Teenage centre forward Guiu made it two straight from the kick-off when Noah’s defence crumbled after just three passes, allowing the young Spaniard to cash in and bury a shot.

Chelsea were three up and home and hosed by 18 minutes when defender Axel Disasi scored with his head in a similar fashion to the opening goal and from the same provider.

Blues’ skipper Fernandez then teed up Felix to score the first of his first half double with a threaded ball having dispossessed the hopeless visitors in front of their own area.

A shot from Felix cannoned in off a defender for his second just before half-time.

And Mykhailo Mudryk, struggling to make his presence felt in the Premier League this season under new head coach Enzo Maresca gave his confidence a boost by curling in a classy right foot shot six minutes before the interval.

Christopher Nkunku added a brace in the second half with the second coming from the penalty spot.